Chest for flat tableware



March '107 1%25 f 1,529,462

C. W. BURNHAM CHEST FOR FLAT TABLEWARE Filed NOV. 23, 1923 Een E6 M QW 7% W ATrORNEYS Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,529,462 PATENT GFFIC.

CHESTER WALBRIDGE BUR-NHAM, or oNEI-DA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'ro 'ONEiDA COMMUNITY, LIMITED, or ONEIDA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW Yoak.

CHEST FOR'FLAT TABLEWARE.

Application led November 2S, 1923. Serial No. 676,471.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER WALBRinOn BURNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oneida, county of'Madi'son, and State of New York, have inventedA certain new and useful improvements in Chests-for Flat Tableware, fullydescribed and represented in the following specificationa'nd the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in chests for silverware.

It is the object of the present invention tov provide a two part chest for the shipment, display and storage Of such ware and the two members of which are readily detachable from each other and so shaped and otherwise constructed as to be capable of use as trays.

ln the accompanying drawing- Figure l is a plan View and Figure 2 is a side view of a chest embodying the improvements of the present invention in their preferred form.

Figure 3 is an end view of the chest with the upper member or tray Opened for the display of the lower tray. y y

Figure 4 is a vertical Section of a portion of the chest, on an enlarged scale, showing particularly the handles of the two members or trays.

Figure 5 is an end view of Figure 4L.

Figures 6 and 7 are vertical sections on an enlarged scale showing a detachable hinge connection between the two members or trays, Figure 6 showing the chest opened and Figure 7 closed.

Figure 8 is a vertical section and Figure 9 is a side view looking toward the left of Figure 8 showing the hinge detached from the lower member or tray.

Figure l0 is a view of the lower tray illustrating a modication which will be later on referred to.

In said drawings 1 represents the lower tray and 2 the upper tray of the chest. The lower tray 1 is provided with handles 3 and the upper tray with handles 4, and tray l is provided with the usual rack 5 and end supports 6 for the silverware. These may be covered in the usual way with plush or the like and may, with such plush or other covering, be permanently secured to the tray l or mounted upon a support 7 (as shown in Fig. 10) which is readily removable from the bottom of the tray l so that that tray 'is to say, 1s unprovided with any projections such as silver racks or supports and such bottom is preferablyof glass, as indicated in Figures et, 6, 7.

The two men'ib'ers or trays 1-2 fit one within the other and thus .interlock to prevent relative horizontal movement andare provided with interengaging or interlocking devices for detachably connecting the two members or trays. Two sets of such connecting devices'are shown and preferably both are used, but one may suflice, particularly in chests which must be supplied with silver at very little, if any, charge to the purchaser.

One of these connecting devices consists of a pair of hinges 8 connected' at one end withy the upper tray 2 and a slot or recess 9 in tray l for receiving the other end of the hinge 8. Each of these hinges has a body portion of flexible material and a free end portion lof metal or other rigid material which may be covered with the flexible material constituting the body of the hinge. This free end of the hinge enters the recess 9, as best shown in Figures 6 7, and it is made rigid or sti so that when the upper tray is opened as Shown in Figures 3 6 it will not be pulled out of recess 9. The hinge also is so constructed with a free end which 'may be readily introduced into and removed from the recess 9, and the recess 9 is located at the bottom of the lower tray l, so that when the upper tray is removed from the lower tray, by the withdrawal of the hinges from the slots 9, the appearance of the tray l will not be marred by the projection therefrom of a hinge member. The slots or recesses 9, it will be observed, are substantially invisible.

The other connecting means between the trays 1-2 consists vof the handles 34. These are designed to serve not only as handles but also perform the function of locking the two trays together in their closed position and they are therefore preferably of metal having a certain amount of resiliency and the two sets of handles are s0 positioned and so shaped relatively to each other that when the upper tray 2 is placed over and pressed downwardly on to the tray l the handles 4, which are in line with the handles 3 will pass and force the handles 3 outwardly until the tray 2 is properly positioned on tray l when inwardly projecting portions 10 of the handles 3 will spring over the handles 4 and thus frictionally lock the two trays together.

The construction shown in Figure 10 is not claimed'per se herein but forms the sub ject matter of a divisional application iiled by applicant October 29, '1924.v Serial No. 746,470.

What l claim is:

1. A chest for fiat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed are arranged face to face and interlock to prevent relative 'horizontal movement, and detachable connecting and retaining means for the trays permitting thenpper tray to swing rearwardly 'tor the exposure of the interiors of the trays and retaining it in that position with its rear end resting on the rear end ,of the lower tray.

2. A chest for iiat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed arearranged face to tace and interlock to prevent horizontal movement, and detachable connecting and lretaining means Jor the trays permitting the upper tray to swing rearwardly for the exposure of the interiors of the trays and retaining it in that position with its rear end resting on the rear end of the lower tray, said means comprising a hinge member carried by one tray and means on the other tray for detachably engaging it.

8. A chest for flat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed are arranged face to face and interlock to prevent horizontal movement, and detachable connecting and retaining means for the trays permitting the upper tray to swing rearwardly for the exposure of the interiors of the trays and retaining it in that position with its rear end resting on the rear end of the lower tray, said means comprising a hinge member carried by the upper tray and substantially invisible means on the other tray for detachably engaging it.

14. A chest for flat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed are arranged face to tace and interlock to prevent relative horizontal movement, detachable connecting and retaining means for the trays permitting the upper tray to swing rearwardly for the exposure of the interiors of the trays and retaining it in that position with its rear end resting on the rear end of the lower tray and a pair of handles on each tray, said pairs of handles being so con# structed and arranged as to pass each other on the opening' and closing of the upper trav. i

5. A chest for liat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed are arranged face to face and interlock to prevent relative horizontal movement, and a pair of handles on each tray, said pairs of .handles being so constructed and arranged as to engage and lock the two trays together in their closed position. i

6. A chest for iiat tableware comprising two trays which when the chest is closed are arranged face to face and interlock to prevent relative horizontal movement, and a pair of handles on each tray, said pairs of handles being so constructed and arranged as to yieldingly engage and lock the two trays together in their closed position.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. Y

VCHESTER WALBRIDGE BURNHAM. 

